The Association of Parental Influence on Early Interest in Science

• In Event: Roundtable Session 34
  In Roundtable Session: Assessments Serving Science Learning and Instruction

Abstract

Studies indicate that interest in science is often generated in early childhood and in many cases well established prior to middle school (Maltese & Tai, 2010). This study examines the parental contribution to the development of interest reported by physical scientists. The overarching research question is: Are physical scientists whose parents participated in science-related pursuits or had a philosophy of viewing science as a pathway to a better career more likely to report developing an early interest in science? A logistic regression analysis was used to analyze data from the Project Crossover Survey examining doctoral students and physical scientists. Results indicate that parental interest has a strong association with early elementary interest in science.

Authors

• Katherine P. Dabney, Virginia Commonwealth University

• Devasmita Chakraverty, Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad

• John Taylor Almarode, James Madison University

• Robert H. Tai, University of Virginia